Improvement in pencil-sharpeners



A. e. BUZ BY. PENCIL-SHARPENER.

No. 174,777. Patented March 14, 1876.

I N-FETERS. PHDTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D. C

UNITE STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ALBERT G. BUZ BY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PHINEAS GARRETT, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PENClL-SHARPENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 74,777, dated March 14, 1876; application filed January 21, 1876.

. To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT G. BUZBY, 0 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an lmproved Pencil-Sharpener, of which the following is a specification The object of my invention is to make a convenient sharpener by which the end of a pencil can be cut and pointed without soiling the hand, and without that scattering about of the chips and pulverized lead which usually accompanies the operation of sharpening pencils in the ordinary manner.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my sharpening-instrument; Fig.- 2, a vertical section; and Fig. 3 an end view.

A is the block of wood or other suitable miterial, made hollow in the present instance by boring three holes longitudinally in it, as

shown in Fig. 3, so as to form a receptacle permanently closed at one end, a, and closed at the opposite end by a plate, B, hinged at b to the end of the box, from which the contents can be discharged after raising the plate, the latter, when depressed, being secured by any suitable fastening. In the top of the box, and extending from end to end of the same, is a slot, 0, and the top on each side of this slot is inclined downward to the same; and to the inclination f-fis secured emery or other granulated grinding material, either by cementing it directly to the surface or by gluing sand or emery paper to the same.- To an inclined slot, h, made in the closed end of .thebox, is fitted a blade, t, which can be adjnsttd by nreans of a set-screw, m, the head of tbelatter bearing against the lower edge of t e blade, the cutting-edge of which should always be near a bearing-surface, n, the latter forming the bottomof the slot at the closed end of the box. At a short distance from the cutting-edge of the blade there is a guard, 10, which consists in the present instance of a simple wire driven through the box. A sup- 2, and by drawing the pencil backward and forward, and at the same time turning it with his fingers, he can soon reduce the wood and lead to the desired tapering form, and the lead may subsequently have a fine point im parted to it by rubbing over the inclined grinding-surface f f. The particles of dust adhering to the point of the pencil may be removed therefrom by drawing it across a piece of sponge or other suitable substance, w, fastened to one of the surfaces f.

. When a portion of the blade i has become blunt by long-continued use, it may be moved laterally so as to present another and sharper portion of its cutting-edge at the bottom a of the slot, and the blade can be easily removed when-its entire cutting-edge has tobe sharpened.

It will be noticed that the chips made by the blades q and i must fall into the interior as of the box, as must also the lead-dust which is made by rubbing the point of the pencil on the inclined grinding-surface f f, and accumulations of dust and chips may be removed from the box from time to time after raising the plate B.

The knife q is retained in its slot by the said plate, and can be readily removed When it has to be sharpened. Both knives i and q may, if desired, be straight, or the box may have only a single knife. p

The above-described device may be temporarily secured to a table or desk by a screw, 00.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination,inapencil-sharpener, of the slotted box A, the laterallyv and diagonally adjustable knife i, and guard 1;, all substantially as described.

2. The combination of the slotted box A, a

the blade q, and movable plateB.

3. The within-described pencil-sharpening instrument, consisting of the slotted block A, a knife or knives extending across the said slot, and the grinding-surfaces f on each side of the same, all as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ALBERT G. BUZBY.

Witnesses:

HARRY HowsoN, J r., HARRY SMITH. 

